By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****/***

WHEN? Saturday 22 August, opens 1 September and runs through 10 October 2026 RUNTIME: 130 minutes (without interval)

Perhaps predictably this mash-up of Greek tragedy with Ingmar Bergman is a play of 2 halves.

• Read on for reasons including how Blanchett and Hoss conjure literal theatrical electricity

Ironically then, despite being advertised with an interval, this preview experiments without 1 and we think it’s for the best.

Blanchett (The Seagull, Barbican) and Nina Hoss (The Cherry Orchard, Donmar) conduct a coin toss by a member of the audience at the start of proceedings to decide which of them plays which parts.

At this preview Blanchett is Clytemnestra and Hoss Electra with Blanchett playing the nurse and Hoss the actress in Persona.

Blanchett takes her seat in the front row and Benedict Andrews’ (Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Apollo Theatre and the aforementioned The Cherry Orchard) take on Greek myth is some of the best theatre we’ve ever seen.

Like Jamie Lloyd’s EVITA!, the action takes place on 20-or-so steps leading up from the audience to the top of the stage. Hoss is the grieving titular Electra tortured by her mother Clytemnestra’s murder of her father and Blanchett has a field day encouraging her unstable daughter to recreate events we’ve not yet scene.

The scattering of modern day costumes across the bare steps gives this Electra a rehearsal room feel and we love the use of red liquid as blood literally spat over its victim.

At the end of this 1st act Electra flees the stage giving us the set up for Persona, a nurse hired to look after an actress who had a breakdown after a particularly harrowing performance and now refuses to speak.

Persona is about the mental fortitude of not speaking and how the hollowed out artist can replenish themselves on the innocent seeking only to fill the silence while the actress slowly devours its prey.

Ella Lily Hyland (Black Doves) is good here but unfortunately is left too often holding a microphone (very Jamie Lloyd Cyrano de Bergerac) or following someone backstage with a camera (very Jamie Lloyd Sunset Boulevard)

The split personality idea works better on film than in the theatre and, while we appreciate the experimentation of camera use here, it’s not something we want to see onstage and feel better suited to NT Live where this will doubtless appear after this run.

Savour Electra though – because it’s visually arresting and Blanchett and Hoss conjure up literal theatrical sparks of electricity.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy National Theatre Tickets
• Have you seen a Cate Blanchett show before and what did you think of it? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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